Sheikh Al Junaydi serves as a foil to Said in the Thief and
the Dogs. Throughout the novel, he is peaceful, wise, and constantly reciting
proverbs. Thus, Said’s rash behavior and disrupted state of mind is highlighted.
While the Sheikh has a very clear conscious and is the epitome of innocence and
purity, Said has committed many wrong doings. Said does not even hold himself
accountable for his actions or seek repentance, but rather gives himself
excuses. The stark contrast between the two characters is especially present in
the scene in which Said escapes to see the Sheikh after he murdered whom he
thought was Ilish. Said observes how the Sheikh can complacently look at the
sky and be filled with an ambience of harmony; however, Said is not able to let
the beauty of the sky fill him with the same sense of tranquility since he is
so troubled by his wrongdoings.
Sheikh Al
Junaydi also demonstrates how fate is not the only factor acting upon Said’s
happiness. The Sheikh is able to see many alternative opportunities and options
that could have prevented Said’s downfall.
Although
Mahfouz does not necessarily claim that one’s fate is the product of forces
that extend beyond an individual’s control and do rely on free will to some
extent, he does allow the reader to question the role of context in determining
free will. In other words, he conveys that the uncontrollable context
surrounding a character can lead them to bring about their own fate, and while
those decisions may be considered as actions taken by free will, mere
circumstance is an overpowering driving force. For instance, at the beginning
of the novel, it may seem as if Said is the cause of his own downfall when he
accidentally murders the tenant in Ilish’s apartment. The murder is by no means
justifiable, even if he did kill his intended target. However, taking a closer
look at Said’s motivations in committing the murder, we see a mentally
unbalanced individual rejected by all turns of society. His wife betrayed him,
his daughter does not wish to know him despite his unconditional love, and his
former friend did not even attempt to reach a helping hand at Said’s time of
despair. These crippling conditions that form his environment can be seen as
the roots of his actions. He simply wishes to avenge himself though his means
in doing so may be deplorable. Ultimately, through displaying the volatile
character of Said alongside his background and the series of unfortunate events
he has faced, Mahfouz is able to communicate that although all characters have
the option of free will in determining their fate, context can make such an
option extremely difficult to take, especially when the characters’ moral
standing and ethical mindset is weak in the first place.
In fact, we
frequently see Said attempting to make excuses for himself when Mahfouz exposes
his inner thoughts through internal monologue. In order to distance himself
from his actions and guilty conscience, he claims that he had no choice and
that fate was the only determiner. In this explanation, he relinquishes all responsibility
for his actions and frees himself of consequences. Mahfouz is able to expose
the flaws in these thoughts and display the dangers of relying completely on
the domination of fate. Essentially, in fate’s name, any vice that the character
has planned can occur without giving it a second thought.
In terms of
happiness, it largely relies on context. It would take a very strong
personality and clear mentality to be able to take in negative surroundings and
ignore a series of degrading events for the sake of appreciating life. Said
cannot be described as a strong individual. Therefore, we witness his decline
throughout the novel. Whether or not he has a choice in how he perceives his own
context can be argued since it could just be a product of biological genes or a
disruptive nurture which would delve into the psyche of the character. The fact
that he is unable to cope with negative turns in his life indicates that
context does have an influence, but so does personal disposition.
Therefore,
Sheikh Al Junaydi almost represents how a peaceful state of mind is required as
opposed to Said’s bordering on mental illness which explains the ease with
which the Sheikh can find happiness as opposed to Said.
